624 EXPEKIMENT STATION EECOED. 



nitrogen industry, the United States is certainly one of tlie countries specially 

 favored for the establishment of the manufacture, as it possesses fairly ex- 

 tensive deposits of bauxite, the mineral serving for the fixation of nitrogen. 

 There is much to warrant American enterprise in studying very closely the 

 possibilities of this new industry. It promises to furnish ammonium com- 

 pounds far more economically than any existing process and involves a simpler 

 plant than that required for cyanamid or air nitrates. , . . 



" It will be noted that at present the methods of producing ammonia and 

 ammonium compounds, more particularly the staple product, ammonium sul- 

 phate, seem to offer the larger field for the economic fixation of atmospheric 

 nitrogen. The more complete utilization of the nitrogen present in coal, peat, 

 etc., increases likewise the available supply of ammonia. In view of this trend 

 in the general movement, coupled with the prospective depletion of the stock 

 of Chile saltpeter, it is eminently desirable that steps should promptly be taken 

 to ascertain, as nearly as jwssible, under what conditions and to what extent 

 ammonium sulphate can satisfactorily replace Chile saltpeter for the most 

 important crops. 



" There is much diversity of opinion on this point, both in Europe and 

 America. Some authorities assign to nitrogen in the form of ammonia a general 

 value as fertilizer equal to that of nitrogen in the form of saltpeter. Others 

 assign a lower value. Market quotations fluctuate, following naturally the laws 

 of supply and demand, but frequently they show a higher valuation of ammonia 

 nitrogen than of nitrogen in the form of nitrate. More definite data on this 

 subject might aid naturally the plans of American investors in handling projects 

 for establishing on American soil adequate plants for the domestic production 

 of combined nitrogen. 



" In conclusion it can be regarded as beyond doubt that the present achieve- 

 ments of applied chemistry in this field render it possible for American in- 

 dustry and American agriculture to face the threatened exhaustion of the 

 nitrate deposits of Chile and the demands attendant upon a rapidly growing 

 population without any feeling of apprehension. The processes already per- 

 fected and described in detail show that there is no early danger of a nitrogen 

 famine. The continual perfection of the processes and the appearance at 

 frequent intervals of novel additional methods, as well as the popularization 

 of the new forms of combined nitrogen, all point to a steady movement for- 

 ward, and to the assurance that combined nitrogen, as an industrial product, 

 will be furnished on an increased scale without advance in cost above existing 

 rates as fast as the demand is evident." 



The fi.xation of atmospheric nitrogen by the use of aluminum nitrid, 

 F. Makre (G&iiie Civil, 61 (1912), ISfo. 2, pp. 30-33; ahs. in Chem. A 6s., 6 

 (1912). No. 15, p. 2130). — The theory and the practical operation of this method 

 of fixation of free nitrogen are described. A product is obtained which is not 

 a definite compound, but contains about 31 per cent of nitrogen. 



The behavior of commercial calcium cyanamid in storage and under the 

 influence of soils and colloids, Gf. Henschel (Das Terhalten ties technischen 

 Calciuin-ciinnamids bri dcr Aiifheicahruug .sowie unter dem Einfiuss Kultur- 

 hoden und Kolloiden. Diss. Leipzig, 1912, pp. 12; abs. in Centbl. BaTct. [etc.], 

 2. AM., 3J, (1912), No. 10-li3, pp. 279, 280).— The author fonnd that the decom- 

 position of cyanamid was somewhat more rapid in dry sterilized soils and 

 colloids than in those which contained micro-organisms. There was almost 

 complete agreement between the intensity of cyanamid decomposition in steri- 

 lized media and ammonia formation in media containing micro-organisms. This 

 was true for practically all soils experimented with except a humus moor sand 

 rich in colloids and showing feeble bacterial activity. It was shown that the 



